Rob Edwards wary of opposition threat expressing “I don’t want a game of basketball”, when the free scoring Forest Green Rovers host Newport County.
Forest Green Rovers are looking to extend their gap at the top of SkyBet League Two to a possible 11 points on Saturday. Rob Edwards’ team play Newport County who currently sit third in the table- the final automatic promotion place in the division.
Victory at the New Lawn would see the home side 15 points ahead of their Welsh counterparts, a point margin identical to the rest of the chasing pack in the fourth tier.
PORT VALE REACTION
Rovers thrashed second placed Tranmere Rovers last weekend 4-0, with goals from Matt Stevens, Jamille Matt, Jordan Taylor-Moore and Regan Hendry. Unable to recreate the win in midweek however, with a hard fought 1-1 draw away at ninth-placed Port Vale.
“Tuesday was a different game against a team that was very motivated to beat us wanting to try and runover us, be physical, be really competitive, try and stop us playing and they did that very well and we had to stand up to it.
The energy levels we showed to stay in the game and then the levels we showed to get back into the game in the second half were excellent…
That was a really important point, it was a really good performance, not in the sense of playing sexy football or in the sense of what it was like against Tranmere on Saturday, but for other reasons, for the fight, the way we defended and the way we got back into the game. Let’s have it right, they Port Vale will be right in the mix for it at the end of the season there is no doubt about that”.
It wasn’t a lovely game to watch was it, it was blood and thunder, it was windy, a difficult pitch and I’m really pleased for the lads to stand up to a different challenge.
Edwards’ New Year fixture list threw up tough tests against several clubs aiming for promotion, but the manager has no quarries about the tough period.
“The way the games are falling at the moment there is a lot of big games. The next game is the most important and it just so happens that we’ve had recently a lot that we are vying for the same position with”.
Saturday will see the divisions three top scorers come up against each other. Jamille Matt and Matt Stevens both have 17 league goals this term, tallies only beaten by Newport forward Dom Telford.
“We know we have got goal scorers and they goal they can score as well, we certainly know that they have threat in particular with Dom Telford, and we know we have with our goal scorers as well”.
Rovers and the second highest scoring team in the EFL, scoring 56- only beaten by the 74 scored by Championship leaders Fulham. Despite keeping 13 clean sheets in their last 21 league matches, the history of this fixture will be in the back of the mind of Edwards, with the last 12 matches between the two clubs resulting in 43 goals.
We’ve had a 6-3 and a 5-5 this season, so what is a normal league game? There was excitement at the end of last season. Who knows that’s coming. Two good teams going up against each other. Both teams trying to win, it makes for an exciting game, but in terms of goals we will have to see.
I certainly don’t want it to be that kind of affair, I don’t want a game of basketball and we don’t want to concede many goals.
The home side are known for their fast starts, scoring inside the first 20 minutes of 15 matches this season, and Edward’s is keen for his team to keep at it if they do not score an early goal.
“It’s always nice to start the game well and get the first goal but it’s not the be all and end all. As long as we find a way in the 90 minutes… if we don’t it doesn’t mean we give up and roll over… like we didn’t do last night, we didn’t get the first goal and we didn’t get the fast start”.
TEAM NEWS
Forest Green look to be going into Saturday’s clash with Newport with a fully fit squad. The only omission from midweek, Nicky Cadden should be in contention to make an appearance.
“We got one or two bumps and bruises but everyone I think is alright, we know were still working on ‘Cads’ (Nicky Cadden), we will hopefully be fit, he defiantly has a chance, we will see the physios and they will be working hard to get back”.
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EBOU ADAMS IS BACK
“It’s not like he’s been injured, he’s been away, missed a couple of days with a slight collar bone problem. He went over and he was playing games. In the best way possible he is a freak of an athlete. We know he is someone who is very resilient and strong, very fit as well. But is not like he’s been out injured, he’s been on international duty
There’s been lots of good performances, we want the competition for places, you can’t keep everyone happy, I got a lot of people are frustrated that want to get back in the team, they want to show what they can do and they back themselves, there is a lot of competition but that’s a good thing, we got a lot a really hungry team and everyone wants to play a part… unfortunately I can’t pick 20-odd players”.
NEWPORT TEAM NEWS
Newport County AFC hope to have centre-back Josh Pask back after injury, The on-loan Coventry defender suffered the blow against Scunthorpe and came off at Glanford Park but played three days later against Leyton Orient with strapping on his right leg.
MAN TO WATCH: DOM TELFORD
Games: 19
Goals: 20
Dom Telford is League Two’s top scorer, netting 20 goals in just 19 matches this season in the division. Only Telford and Fulham’s Aleksander Mitrovic have a positive goal to game ratio this season (minimum 10 goals), and is the EFL’s second top scorer, again only beaten by the Serbian who has 28.
Telford, is dangerous in any situation, whether lurking inside the box ready for a simple tap in, also has the ability to beat a man and curl a shot into the top corner from outside the box, is the first player to hit 20 goals in a football league season for Newport County since John Aldridge in 1983/84
“He’s had a magnificent season so far and will be a real threat for them, what they have is they create chances and he put them away. What they have is a lot of good footballers, we got to respect him and be ready for him, but if we don’t deal with others we will still get punished”, Said Edwards.
Telford had only scored one goal in his first 16 for Newport, and before the start of the 2021/22 season only had scored 14 league goals since making his professional debut for Blackpool in 2014.
LAST MACTCH
Forest Green Rovers 4-3 Newport County
League Two Play-off Semi-Final
Rovers headed back to The New Lawn trailing 2-0 from the first leg, after goals from Harry Dolan and Lewis Collins settled the match in South Wales.
Rovers were level on aggregate after only eight minuets, after Ebou Adams and Aaron Collins netted inside a minute of each other.
Nicky Cadden completed the turn around to put Rovers ahead in the tie 10 minutes after the break.
Newport hit back with two goals of their own, a stunning strike from 41-year-old Kevin Ellison 20 minutes from time and Joss Ladibe shortly after sent the tie to 3-4. Jamille Matt rescued the tie in the 87th minute, sending the game to extra-time.
Former Bristol City forward Nicky Maynard broke home hearts in the 119th minute to send the Welsh side to Wembley. Where they lost 1-0 to Morecombe.
